RailRiders Bring Back READing RailRoad Program

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to announce the return of their READing RailRoad program this spring and summer courtesy of Red Robin. READing RailRoad allows children aged 4-13 the chance to read five books and be rewarded for their work with a free ticket to an upcoming home game at PNC Field and a coupon from Red Robin.

“The READing RailRoad is a simple way to keep your child reading outside of their school,” stated Jordan Steiner, the RailRiders Director of Community Relations. “We all know how rewarding sitting down with a book already is and this is a great way to add some fun and incentive plus a sense of accomplishment doing just that!”

Printable bookmarks are available on the Community tab of swbrailriders.com or physical copies are available at any of the participating libraries in the area. Those libraries are:

Abington Community Library                        Osterhout Free Library

Clymer Library                                               Pike County Public Library

Hazleton Area Public Library                         Pittston Memorial Library

Hoyt Library                                                   Taylor Community Library

North Pocono Public Library                          Tunkhannock Public Library

Parents/Guardians must register their child or children by sending their name, their child’s name, phone number, and mailing address to communityrelations@swbrailriders.com. As each book is finished, the reading log on the bookmark must be completed and the parent/guardian must initial each numbered box. When all five books are read, parents must send a completed copy or photo of the bookmark to communityrelations@swbrailriders.com.

The ticket link to redeem one free Field Reserved ticket per participant will be emailed to the parent/guardian once the child has completed the five books and submitted proof. Additional tickets for friends and family will be available for purchase through the link.

All tickets are digital and there is a limit of one (1) Field Reserved ticket per child who participated. There is also a limit of one (1) bookmark per child this season.

The ticket voucher is redeemable for any 2022 regular season home game – tickets and seating are subject to availability. The coupon for Red Robin is good for a free kid’s meal with the purchase of any adult item.

For more information or to print the bookmark, visit swbrailriders.com.

PennDOT Student Art, Safety Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is inviting high school students in the northeast region to participate in the annual Paint the Plow art outreach.

The program challenges youth to take a predetermined theme and incorporate it into an original mural that they paint on one of PennDOT’s snow plow blades to promote winter driving safety and foster appreciation for school art programs and student creativity. The 2022 theme, “Put Down the Device in Snow and Ice,” was chosen to draw attention to the need for motorists to give themselves ample time for travel during wintry weather in order to arrive safely to their destination.

Paint the Plow was piloted in Cambria County in 2015 and later expanded to several surrounding counties and across the state. In the northeast region last year, students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties participated.

Students in public and private schools are eligible to participate, though school officials must make the arrangements. Plow delivery and pick up dates vary by county. The program categories may be modified based on participation numbers.

Additional information on the program, including the guidelines for participation, can be found online at www.penndot.pa.gov or may be obtained by Jessica Ruddy at jeruddy@Pa.gov or 570.963.4044.

PennDOT cannot provide financial support for supplies or travel expenses connected with this program but does make every effort to publicize the contributions of the schools and the students. This will include, but is not limited to, social media postings, postings on the PennDOT website, media press releases and public displays at a local PennDOT facility. 

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District4.

Follow PennDOT’s northeast region on Twitter or Facebook.

Johnson College Signs Dual Admission Agreement

Johnson College and Bloomsburg University signed a dual admission transfer agreement on April 27, 2022. Through this agreement, students who apply for dual admission and graduate from Johnson College’s Electronic Engineering Technology program are guaranteed admission to Bloomsburg University. They will enter with at least full junior standing in Bloomsburg University’s Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology program.

Johnson College students transferring to Bloomsburg University must meet minimum cumulative grade-point average requirements and satisfy all other transfer requirements. All agreements become effective in Fall 2022.

“Creating a pathway for our students to achieve a bachelor’s degree at Bloomsburg University ensures they continue to build on their Johnson College hands-on education to advance their future careers,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College.

“True to our mission of educating the students of Pennsylvania and beyond, this agreement will ensure that Johnson College students have a seamless transition to Bloomsburg University, creating the best path forward to future success,”  said BU President Bashar Hanna.

The University of Scranton Presents Romeri Duo Concert

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a recital by the father-son duo of organist John A. Romeri and flautist John Romeri on Saturday, May 7.

The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

A church musician for nearly 50 years, John A. Romeri has served in Catholic churches and cathedrals across the country. Most recently, he served as the first director of music for the newest American cathedral, Christ Cathedral in Orange County, California. While there, he established the Cathedral choirs, Diocesan Choir and Diocesan Children’s Choir. In addition, he served as the host of “Music from the Tower,” a weekly radio program focused on sacred and classical music.

 “We are very excited to welcome this dynamic father-son duo, and to introduce them for the first time to our concert hall and its mighty Austin,” said Cheryl Y. Boga, director of Performance Music at The University of Scranton.

John A. Romeri’s choirs have toured the United States, Europe and Canada, and he has served in leadership positions with the American Guild of Organists, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and Pueri Cantores.  Through the years, he has received a number of awards, including the Westminster Choir College Alumni Merit Award and the Paul Creston Award from St. Malachy, the Actor’s Chapel in New York City.

Meanwhile, his son, John Romeri, is the co-founder and artistic director of the Broadway Chamber Players, a group of Broadway pit musicians who play chamber music concerts in New York’s Theater District. In addition, he maintains an active teaching and performance schedule throughout the Northeast, often performing with the Stamford, Delaware, Harrisburg and Lancaster symphonies, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Philadelphia Virtuosi and Black Pearl Chamber orchestras, as well as at St. Paul’s Chapel of Trinity Wall Street and Central Park’s Shakespeare in the Park.

For many years, the younger Romeri has been a sought-after musician for numerous Broadway shows, among them “Carousel,” “Wicked,” “Miss Saigon,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “My Fair Lady,” “The King and I,” “She Loves Me,” “An American in Paris,” “On the Town,” “Les Misérables” and “Beauty and the Beast.” He has also performed music for such television shows as “Mildred Pierce,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Sound of Music Live!” and “Peter Pan Live!”

The Houlihan-McLean Center’s Austin Opus 301 symphonic organ was built in 1910 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut, for Scranton’s Immanuel Baptist Church. Restored and re-dedicated by the University in 2005, the organ is one of the few rare surviving original examples of early 20th-century organ building, possessing a total of 3,178 pipes, 45 ranks and four manuals. The instrument is maintained by artist/technicians from Emery Brothers/Dieffenbach organs.

For the performance, audience members are required to wear a higher-grade mask (N95, KN95, KF94 or double masking) at all times. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for the most current information on additional required audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

For further information on the recital, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on John A. Romeri, visit johnromeri.com. For more on John Romeri, visit www.broadwaychamberplayers.org/about.

The Greater Scranton YMCA to Host Job Fair

The Greater Scranton YMCA will host a job fair at its facility on Saturday, May 14th from 12:00-3:00 p.m.

Imagine going to work knowing that what you do each day positively affects the lives of the people in your community. Working at the Y, you’ll discover more than a job—you’ll enjoy the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of those around you. At the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Job Fair, come learn about all full-time and part-time positions available, including: Lifeguards, swim instructors, welcome center attendants, child watch attendants, monitors, teachers, assistant teachers, summer day camp counselors and maintenance techs.

The Job Fair will be located in the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Welcome Center on Saturday, May 14th from 12:00-3:00 p.m. The Greater Scranton YMCA is located at 706 North Blakely Street, Dunmore, PA 18512.

For more information or questions, contact Ken Brewster, Aquatics Director, at kbrewster@greaterscrantonymca.org or call (570) 828-3112. For a listing of job opportunities at the Greater Scranton YMCA, visit the YMCA online at https://www.greaterscrantonymca.org/jobs.

Helen Lavelle Art Sales To Benefit Ukraine

Helen Lavelle, award winning artist and Creative Strategist at the advertising agency that bears her name, will be a featured artist in May at POSH @ The Scranton Club. Lavelle’s exhibit of more than a dozen paintings will debut at First Friday Scranton on Friday, May 6.

A portion of the proceeds of art print sales during the exhibit will be donated to St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church to benefit all people suffering during the war in Ukraine. “Every artist has an opportunity to give back in a way that not a lot of people do. This is my way of doing that,” states Ms. Lavelle.

The exhibit will include two of Lavelle’s original pieces – a painting of Jesus Christ entitled “Love One Another” and a painting of Mahatma Gandhi entitled “Be The Change”. Posters of these two pieces will be available for a donation, with 100% of proceeds going to support Ukraine. “We are most grateful for Ms. Lavelle’s support,” states Pastor Reverend Myron Myronyuk. “The needs become greater with each hour that passes.”

A nationally-recognized leader in the advertising industry, Lavelle is also an advocate for the arts in all genres. Her figurative, landscape and abstract work is held in corporate and private collections worldwide.

For more information on Lavelle or to view and purchase her artwork, visit https://helenlavelleartist.com/.

United Gilsonite Laboratories Wins Innovation Award

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania will present United Gilsonite Laboratories with an innovation award during the virtual iXchange this month.

This year’s iXchange theme is Innovators: Past, Present, and Future.

The 2022 Ben Franklin Technology Partners innovation award winners are: